Let's Move Blog

2012 Edition
On Monday August 20, 2012 First Lady Michelle Obama will welcome 54 talented young chefs to the White House for the first-ever Kids State Dinner. The guests -- ages 8-12 -- are all winners of the Healthy Lunchtime Challenge, and each of them created an original recipe that is healthy, original and affordable, and contains the five food groups (fruits, veggies, protein, low-fat dairy, and whole grains).

We're all pretty excited to greet 54 amazing young chefs at the White House on Monday, August 20, when First Lady Michelle Obama will host the first-ever Kids' State Dinner. Joining us will be the talented young people (and their parents) whose recipes submitted for the Healthy Lunchtime Challenge most impressed the judges, and best met all the criteria: A healthy, original and affordable lunch that contains the five food groups (fruits, veggies, protein, low-fat dairy, and whole grains). Kids could integrate everything into one recipe, or incorporate some of those food groups into one dish and represent the others as suggested sides, like a whole-wheat wrap with chicken salad, lettuce and shredded carrots, served with skim milk and some strawberries.

Esther’s mom, Dae Young, is a big fan of the high-fiber pitaya fruit (dragonfruit), and happily, so is Esther. They combined it with chicken and cabbage to make a healthy, vibrant salad. They like to layer the salad ingredients when they serve it and if you do this, serve the dressing on the side. –Esther Huh, age 11, Northern Mariana Islands
Makes 1 serving

“I decided to make this recipe because nectarine salsa is my favorite! I could eat it on anything,” says Emma. “I chose a wrap because they are fun to take in my lunchbox.” Emma likes to have these with corn-and-black bean salad, blueberries and strawberries, and milk. –Emma Kenney, age 9, New Mexico
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients:

"I first made this recipe when I was about 4 years old," says Tarteel. "What inspired me to create it is that me and my whole family always loved salmon as our fish of the month. One story I can tell you about this wonderful recipe is that salmon was the first type of fish I ever had." Tarteel serves this with a berry smoothie. –Tarteel Idais, age 9, New Jersey
Makes 4 Servings

"I came up with this lunch because I like to eat burritos, and sometimes my Mom packs them for my lunch at school. I serve homemade pineapple salsa with the burrito," says Ella. She likes to have this with a berry smoothie made with Greek yogurt, as well as a side salad.—Ella Barrett, age 8, New Hampshire
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients:

“I do a lot of cooking with my family, and we do homemade pizza a lot. It’s fun, since everyone can choose what they would like on their own pizza,” says Kayla. “I always like to use things from my own garden, such as the spinach, basil, and cherry tomatoes.” She enjoys this with milk and an apple with cinnamon. –Kayla Wayman, age 9, Montana
Makes 1 to 2 servings

"I was trying to think of something for lunch, and I found these [ingredients] in the fridge and spice cabinets," says Kyle, who recommends serving this pasta with a small fruit salad on the side. –Kyle Moore, age 12, Missouri
Makes 6 servings
Ingredients:
1 pound linguine
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced